Two

My baby turned to two today.  We celebrated as a family with Thomas cupcakes and whistles and finally, finally opened presents after nap time.  Baby O didn't seem to have too much trouble with the time line, but Boy O, MeMe and myself included were quite excited to see him open his gifts.  Thomas the train and the fully stocked fire station were immensely popular with both boys and they played for hours on end afterward. 

To my two year old son, who will always remain my baby:

Dear Baby O,

In the letter written to you on your first birthday, I was struck by the lack emotion from its author.  The weak attempts to describe you sound like an outline, a bare bones draft listing milestones or activities.  Not once did I mention my love for you or how much you mean to me.   That life would be empty without you.  And it truly would be.  Empty.

It has been such an unbelievable year.  Your father and I agree that we were so short-sighted in the beginning. By that we mean that we only thought of you as an infant, a baby-we had no idea that such a little guy like you could fill up an entire room on personality alone.  Your voice helps out a bit too.  Wink.

Just a few days after your first birthday, you took your first steps and our house (and everything in it) would never be the same. I think you may have only walked for a matter of days before you started running and believe me, you have only stopped to eat and sleep a few times here and there.  You always have somewhere to be and somewhere to go, sometimes you pause for a few seconds and I can see the wheels turning in your head-you always have a plan.  Most times that plan includes estimating just how long it will take Mom or Dad to get to you before you get into too much trouble, but it's a plan, nevertheless, and it usually works.

The words and phrases  you place together to form sentences or just to get your point across make each day new and interesting.  I love that you think everyone should receive and M & M every time they go potty (if you don't lock the door, he will come right on in and ask you if you need him to get you one from the kitchen), I love your obsession with Thomas the train, I love that you give yourself applause each and every time you take a sip from the 'big boy' cup and don't spill, I love that you insist on licking the frosting off of cupcakes....I could go on and on.

It is starting to sound like a list again doesn't it?  It IS hard not to reminisce or brag...Forget all the lists of milestones and cuteness, forget the all the poetry,  every time we look at you, YOU fill our hearts with love, happiness and laughter like no one else can.  I love you so much it hurts.

Your brother, father and I cannot imagine a life without you,
Love,
Mom

P. S. Here a few more pictures of the celebration

What It's All About

Q: How many kids are lucky enough to have their MeMe ( + Mom and little brother in desperate need of nap) visit them on Grandparent's Day at school? 

A:  This one.

School Days

Transitioning to "Phase II" is going well and aside from all the complaints from my previous post, all really is well.  I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

Boy O started Kindergarten a week after moving in.  He was incredibly excited and I was incredibly scared, but after registering him for school, I left feeling much more comfortable and somewhat impressed.  All day Kindergarten, small class sizes, separate music, art, computer, physical education classes...it is more than I can give him here at home.  Activities began even before class officially started-a school parade, meet-your-teacher night...it was good for the parents as well as the students and Boy O was no exception.

Meeting the school mascot on back-to-school night:

The big day-Boy O woke us up at 5:32 am, dressed and ready to go.  He also complained of a bad stomachache and it took quite a bit of convincing along with a small serving of pepto bismol to eat some breakfast. 

Breakfast:

Walking to school as a family (we are only one block away!):

Confessions?  Here are a couple: 1) I ran into to the school counselor at the boo hoo breakfast for parents, hosted by the school (I did not boo hoo, but I did come close) and made her promise to check in on Boy O at some point during the day.  I bet you anything there is an asterisk in Boy O's file noting that she needs to check on me at some point. 2) I found myself taking Baby O on a 'walk' to the neighborhood park, which is located just beyond the elementary school and watched Boy O for a half hour at recess from a quarter mile away.  I knew he would be easy to spot in his bright yellow and blue striped shirt and it was good to see him flit around the playground, having the time of his life.

I love hearing about his day at school when we pick him up at the end of the day, I love hearing new vocabulary, new names and the goings-on during recess.  I especially love listening to him use his teacher's words in his conversations, for example: "Mom, I made good choices today", or "So and so had to be separated today" and the best was when he told me, "Mom, did you know that the nurse at school doesn't give shots?  She told me she wouldn't give me one! Isn't that great?"

As I suspected, Baby O adjusted quickly to the extra one-on-one time and has become a great, if somewhat demanding running partner, insisting on stanza after stanza of the 'peanut butter' song and 'Mary had a little lamb'.  Both boys are enjoying their new freedoms and schedules-three weeks in and Boy O continues to be up and dressed by six o'clock in the morning, skips all the way to school, and barely gives us a glance as we wave goodbye from the hallway.  Day by day things are falling into place and becoming more familiar.  Now if I could just find which box the lampshade is in and where my bowls are...